Connector support assembly for transistor connector and method of making the support assembly



June 1967 R. L. SHERWOOD ETAL I 3, 5%

CONNECTOR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR TRANSISTOR CONNECTOR AND METHOD OF MAKINGTHE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY Filed July 24, 1964 2 SheetsSheet 1 M I I :Fi 51 232o 6 24 KIIIHIIH III/ ,1 I} \\l k T 30 A..-.-..-a4 E1 INVENTORS @041 ,1.5/764? woao u 1967 R. L. SHERWOOD ETAL 3,

CONNECTOR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR TRANSISTOR CONNECTOR AND METHOD OF MAKINGTHE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY Filed July 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o ngae' -3 3840 g m E INVENTORS 1941p l. JAQDPWQOO 019N652 E. A! 5,019.

3!3:Z\4,53" Patented June 13, 1967 Force Filed July 24, 1964-, Ser. No.385,095 3 Claims. ((Cl. 29-4555) This invention relates to a throwawayjig and connector supporting assembly for the connectors to a transistorand the method of making the connector support assembly.

One object of the invention is to provide a support for the connectorsfor use with transistors that will ease the assembly operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for theconnectors for use with transistors that Will simplify and decrease thecost of assembly of transistors.

These and other objects Will be more fully understood from the followingdetailed description taken with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the throwaway jig and connector supportdevice of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 along the line 2-2;

FIG. 3 shows the mask used for preparing the upper surface of the deviceof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the mask used for preparing the lower surface of the deviceof FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 shows the device of FIG. 1 as it is used in connecting the leadsto the transistor.

In the assembly of most transistor devices it is necessary to makevarious connections between the crystal or pellet of the transistor andthe wire leads. These connections are generally made with various wireforms.

According to this invention a number of connectors, arranged to suit thegeometry of the device with which they are to be used are supported onan alignment device or jig. Shear holes and breakaway supports areprovided so that the connectors can be separated from the alignmentdevice after the connectors are secured to the tran sistor and the wireleads.

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawing reference number shows a supportjig and connector assembly having a support 11 and alignment holes 12,13 and 14. An emitter connector 15 is supported on the support 11 at 16.The base connector 17 is supported at 18 and the collector connector 21)is supported by a pair of breakaway support strips 21 and 22. Shearholes 23 and 24 are provided in the emitter and base leads 15 and 17respectively.

In making the device of FIG. 1 a photosensitive resist 30 is coated onone side of steel sheet 26 which may, for example, be stainless steel.The sheet is then masked with the mask 31 shown in FIG. 3 and exposed.The unexposed portions are then removed by washing and gold iselectro-formed onto the exposed areas to the desired thickness. The backof the steel plate 26 is then coated with a photosensitive resist 34,masked with mask 35, having an area corresponding generally to the areaof the electrodes except for the area of the supports at 16, 18 andportions of support strips 21 and 22, shown in FIG. 4. The back coatingis then exposed. The unexposed portions corresponding to areas 37, 38,39, 40 as shown on mask 35 are then removed by washing. The assembly isthen subjected to an etchant such as ferric chloride which attacks thestainless steel but has no effect on the gold. The etching removes thestainless steel material in the holes and under the three goldconnectors. The support and connector assembly is then ready for use.

The device is used as shown in FIG. 5. The jig and connector assembly isaligned over the transistor 42, by aligning holes 12, 13 and 14 on afixture, not shown. The emitter and base connectors 15 and 17 areresistance welded to the wire leads 43 and 44 respectively and thecollector connector 20 is resistance Welded to the top of collector lead46. The connectors 15, 17 and 20 are then sheared from support 11 atshear holes 23 and 24 and support strips 21 and 22. The connectors arethen bonded to the transistor. The support 11 which remains is discardedas scrap.

There is thus provided a jig and connector support assembly for theconnectors of a transistor.

While a certain specific embodiment has been described in detail it isobvious that numerous changes may be made without departing from thegeneral principles and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A throwaway jig and connector support assembly for the connectors ofa transistor: comprising a steel support member; a plurality ofalignment holes in said steel support member; an opening substantiallycentrally located in said support; gold emitter and base transistorconnector members, supported on said steel support member, projectinginto said opening; said emitter and base connector members having shearholes therein whereby said connectors may be removed from said supportmember; a gold collector connector member projecting into said openingsand a plurality of breakable tab means supporting said collectorconnector member on said support member adjacent said opening.

2. The method for making a connector support assembly for the connectorsof a transistor comprising: coating one surface of a steel supportmember with a photosensitive resist; masking said photosensitive resistwith a mask having the desired opaque electrode and electrode supportpattern thereon; exposing said photosensitive resist to light to hardenthe unmasked regions; washing the unhardened coating from the maskedregions; electro-forming gold onto the steel support member in theuncoated regions; coating the back surface of said steel support with aphotosensitive resist; masking the photosensitive resist on the back ofsaid support member with a mask having areas corresponding to aplurality of alignment holes and an area corresponding generally to thearea of said connectors except for small support portions; exposing saidphotosensitive resist to light to harden the unmasked regions; washingthe unhardened coating from the masked regions; and etching the exposedareas of the steel support with ferric chloride etch.

3. The method for providing connectors for a transistor comprising:coating one surface of a steel support member with a photosensitiveresist; masking said photosensitive resist with a mask having thedesired opaque electrode and electrode support pattern thereon; exposingsaid photosensitive resist to light to harden the unmasked regions;washing the unhardened coating from the masked regions; electro-forminggold onto the steel wire leads of a transistor; shearing said supportfrom said connectors and bonding said connectors to correspondingregions of the transistor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1961 McMahon 317-235 1/1963Kilby 317--235 0 WILLIAM I. BROOKS, Primary Examiner.

2. THE METHOD FOR MAKING A CONNECTOR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR THE CONNECTORSOF A TRANSISTOR COMPRISING: COATING ONE SURFACE OF A STEEL SUPPORTMEMBER WITH A PHOTOSENSITIVE RESIST; MASKING SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE RESISTWITH A MASK HAVING THE DESIRED OPAQUE ELECTRODE AND ELECTRODE SUPPORTPATTERN THEREON; EXPOSING SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE RESIST TO LIGHT TO HARDENTHE UNMASKED REGIONS; WASHING THE UNHARDENED COATING FROM THE MASKEDREGIONS; ELECTRO-FORMING GOLD ONTO THE STEEL SUPPORT MEMBER IN THEUNCOATED REGIONS; COATING THE BACK SURFACE OF SAID STEEL SUPPORT WITH APHOTOSENSITIVE RESIST; MASKING THE PHOTOSENSITIVE RESIST ON THE BACK OFSAID SUPPORT MEMBER WITH A MASK HAVING AREAS CORRESPONDING TO APLURALITY OF ALIGNMENT HOLES AND AN AREA CORRESPONDING GENERALLY TO THEAREA OF SAID CONNECTORS EXCEPT FOR SMALL SUPPORT PORTIONS; EXPOSING SAIDPHOTOSENSITIVE RESIST TO LIGHT TO HARDEN THE UNMASKED REGIONS; WASHINGTHE UNHARDENED COATING FROM THE MASKED REGIONS; AND ETCHING THE EXPOSEDAREAS OF THE STEEL SUPPORT WITH FERRIC CHLORIE ETCH.